The Kawasaki Z1300's are very unique high performance 6-cylinder motorcycles
that were manufactured between 1979 to 1989. There were 4 different models made
over the years referred to as a Z1300, KZ1300, ZG1300 and ZN1300. The one thing
they have in common, is that they all share basically the same water-cooled
inline 6-cylinder motor. You can see the differences in the various year models
in my tech article below named 'model comparison', but also by reading this
site and looking at the various pictures I have posted.
Personally, the last Z1300 I rode regularly was a 1984' ZN1300 Voyager because
I prefer the later full dress fuel injection model over a base KZ1300. The 6cyl
Voyager has a 4" lower seat height than the KZ1300, F/R dual adjustable air
suspension with an onboard air pump, DFI fuel injection, digital dash, AM/FM
Radio / Cassette / CB / Intercom combo, full fairing that blocks wind as good
as any new bike on the market today, large detachable bags and trunk, and other
state of the art features for its day and time. It will also keep up with
pretty much any new touring bike made these days and still gets 42 mpg on
average when it's in proper tune. I had mine to 125 mph once and it was still
pulling strong, so there's no telling how fast it will go if you stay in the
throttle.

The 6cyl Voyager was discontinued in 1986, even though they were still
officially being assembled by Kawasaki and sold in dealerships through all the
way up through 1989. They were replaced with an inline 4-cylinder ZG1200cc
Voyager that started as a 1986 year model. The newer 4cyl Voyager looks similar
to the style of the ZN1300, but these are entirely different bikes with almost
no parts that interchange. The 4cyl Voyager was discontinued in 2003 as I
understand, and the new 2010 Voyager uses a 1700cc V-Twin which no doubt,
really doesn't interest the diehard 6cyl lovers. It's that unique sound of the
six cylinder for one thing, and/or the physical size, stability, power and
speed of the Z1300 that others love.

Air Filter Mod
- More airflow for your motor by Phil Stillwell in the UK

With bikes like the H1 500, the K2 750 and the Z900,
Kawasaki earned a reputation for making the fastest and the most fearsome
roadsters available. As the 1970s wore on, although the 900 grew into a
1000, the opposition began to catch up, overtake and zoom ahead with their
own scorching road burners. Since 1973, however, Kawasaki Heavy Industries
had been working on a new 'King' to wrest the laurels from its Oriental
rivals. The brief was simple, the bike should be a 1200, have six cylinders
and because of the company's expertise with such a layout, should have an
in-line engine. Development continued slowly but surely on those lines
until it was decided that, due to the bike's inevitable weight penalty, an
even larger power unit was necessary. So when the new Kawasaki bike was
announced to the press in late 1978, it was designated the Z1300 and
featured a 1286cc engine. The width of a six-cylinder
power unit mounted across the frame presents the biggest problem for
designers because it limits banking angles and thus impedes rapid cornering.
Such a unit also presents a large frontal area to the wind and makes
manoeuvring in traffic somewhat perilous. Kawasaki's
answer to the problem of making a compact six was to utilize water cooling.
With water jackets around each cylinder, the gaps between can be narrower
than if air is relied on for cooling. Although the Z1300 is rather large
from crankcase end to crankcase end, the rest of the engine looks more the
size of a big four. Of course, another advantage of water cooling is that
it provides good sound insulation and this well-balanced six is notably
quiet and smooth with few peers in this respect.

Difficulty was found in accommodating the customary one
carburetor for each cylinder, so the decision was made to use three
twin-choke constant-vacuum carburettors. These were found to be more
compact and fitted underneath the fuel tank without impeding the rider. The
fuel mixture enters the combustion chambers by way of a single valve per
cylinder, the company thinking that the expense of the
four-valve-per-cylinder system was unjustifiable. Power is
transmitted through a five-speed gearbox to a shaft drive, mounted on the
right-hand side of the bike. With a weight of 640 lb to propel, and all of
120bhp to transmit to the 17in diameter rear wheel, it was obvious that a
chain would just not be up to the job. Braking is taken care of by triple
discs using the Kawasaki system of sintered metal pads, (two front, one
rear). Surprisingly, once under way the bike is quite easy to ride and does
not feel at all like the heavyweight it is. The engine is smooth and
powerful and urges the machine forward at an even and very rapid rate.

There is no noticeable power band as such, just one
turbine-like surge right up to the 8000 rpm mark. This corresponds to 135
mph in top gear, although a few more mph can be extracted if you risk
running into the red sector of the rev-counter. Acceleration is certainly
in the top bracket with a standing-start quarter-mile time which just
reaches into the 'elevens'. There are one or two bikes which are faster but
they are a fair bit lighter and not quite so comfortable. Another pleasant
surprise is the machine's fuel consumption which is quite low and always on
the good side of 40mpg. The instrumentation and switchgear of the
bike are just what you would expect of a Japanese bike for the 1980s, and
they are just about perfect for the job. The Z1300 has a large comfortable
saddle which makes long-distance touring very comfortable indeed. It
is hard to say just how big bikes will get before the trend to 'bigger and
faster' stops, but critics should not dismiss the new Kawasaki as the
ultimate unmanageable monster. It is in fact smooth, fast and easy to ride
and an interesting step in the development of the powered cycle.

Source : Super Bikes by Mike Winfield

Z1300 History

The Z1300 was shown to the world at the Koln show in September 1978. The
engine a liquid-cooled 1286cc DOHC two valve per each of the six cylinders
sat in the bike which had a massive dry weight of 297kg. This was the "dreadnought"
of touring bikes. In November 1978 the press were introduced to the Z1300,
in Malta for the European press and Death Valley California for the
American press. They were unanimous with praise for both styling and
impressive performance of the ground breaking machine.

The Z1300 was produced from 1978 until bowing out in 1989. In 1983 the
Z1300 was given a digital fuel injection (D.F.I.) and was called the
ZG1300, the system installed to improve fuel consumption gave a gain in
power and torque. In march of 1983 the Voyager was launched, a fully
dressed tourer:- it featured a fairing, panniers, top box, stepped seat,
digital speedometer, radio/cassette deck and on board computer for trip and
fuel calculations. The Voyager was a big hit with serious touring riders
despite its higher price than its competitors.

After its 12 year run the Z1300, Kawasaki's first liquid cooled six
cylinder engined bike ceased production in 1989. 20,000 Z1300's and 4,500
Voyagers had been produced.

Today as we stand testament for the Z1300 is still a popular choice for
many bikers.

In 1978 Honda and Benelli had a six, Kawasaki were to be different. The
Z1300 was a six with water cooling and shaft drive:- the ultimate sports
tourer. It was the heaviest at 297kg but the 120bhp was more than enough to
power the bike to over 145mph. It soon found admirers all over the world.

1978. The Z1300 Prototype

The 1286cc motor was smooth and a masterpiece of design and easy to work on.
The Z1300 was the "King of the road".

1979. The Z1300-A1

Starting frame number: KZT30A-000101
This the first model was only available in one colour, starlight blue with
gold pin stripe. The Z1300 handled better than it should have and surprised
many of the reviewers at the time. The brakes were poor and it had little
ground clearance. But the Z1300 was in a class of its own.

1980. The Z1300-A2

Starting frame number: KZT30A-006201
The A2 was offered again in only one colour: ruby red. The A2 was an
improvement over the A1, the sump was much bigger: A bid to counter act the
crank problems the A1 had experienced. It was increased from a capacity of
4.5 litres of oil to 6.

1980-1981. The KZ1300-B2 Touring

Starting frame number: KZT30B-000001
This model was not released in the UK, being mainly a US model. It was
basically a Z1300a with a fairing, top box and panniers. Again only one
colour was offered: Royal dark red. The heaviest bike got even heavier.

Starting frame number: JKAKZAA15BA-011501
The A3 was available in two colours: Holy green and Ebony. A chrome grab
rail was fitted and the outer engine cases and air filter covers were
chromed. The electronic ignition was modified and gas rear shocks absorbers
were fitted. The A3 was now also being built at the Lincoln factory in The
USA.

1982. The Z1300-A4

Starting frame number: KZT30A-014101
1982 saw few differences in the Z1300, it was offered in two colours:
Passion red or ebony. The CDI pickups were moved and the horn covers were
changed.
1983. The Z1300-A5

Starting frame number: KZT30A-015901
The A5 had even few differences than previous models, the badges were
changed but it was offered in the same colours.

Starting frame number: ZGT30A-000001
1984 Saw a big change, the introduction of the digital fuel injection. the
power output was now 130bhp. The colour were the same still: Red or ebony. The
outer cases and side panel badges were modified.

1985. No new model. Sales were slowing.

Kawasaki - ZG 1300 A1-A3 (Z1300-ZGT30A) 84-86

Misc.

Motorcycle Style

Tourer

Colour Options

Red or ebony

Engine

Displacement

1286 cc

Type

Liquid Cooled DOHC Inline Six

Bore x Stroke

62 x 71 mm

No. of Valves

12

Carburation

Fuel Injection

Power

Max Power Output

128 bhp

Electrics

Voltage

12v

Spark Plugs

NGK BPR6ES

Transmission

Clutch Type

Wet multi-plate type

Final Drive

Shaft

Transmission

5 Speed

Brakes

Front

Twin Disc

Rear

Disc

Dimensions

Dry Weight

294 kgs

Tyres

Front

110/90-H18 Tubeless

Rear

130/90-V17 Tubeless

1986. The ZG1300-A2

Starting frame number: ZGT30A-002801
More or less same bike same colours.

1987. The ZG1300-A3

Starting frame number: ZGT30A-002801
Same again.

1988. The ZG1300A4

Starting frame number: ZGT30A-003501
The Z1300 was now only offered in one colour: Ebony, only a handful of UK
sales being made.

1989. The ZG1300-A5

Sales of the Z1300 were almost at a stand still and this model was being
sold until 1993.

The Blue Ridge
Parkway is gorgeous in summer. So why not go? You’ll want to, when there’s
a Kawasaki Voyager® XII waiting in the garage. So pack the top-loading
saddlebags and trunk. Then start up the 1,196cc In-Line Four DOHC engine,
settle in behind the aerodynamic fairing and let dual gear-driven engine
balancers and fully adjustable suspension provide an incredibly smooth ride.
And head the Voyager XII toward the Parkway’s 469 miles of motorcycling
paradise.

Long, relaxing
days in the saddle are what the Kawasaki Voyager® XII motorcycle was built
for. This machine lays claim to all of the features of a luxury tourer,
from its spacious saddlebags and large rear trunk to its massive full
fairing with wide windshield and deeply cushioned seat that's good for
all-day cruising comfort. Passengers also benefit from an equally
comfortable seating position, with grab rails, their own floorboards and an
adjustable backrest. Truly, the Voyager pampers all of its riders.

Three Year Warranty

Your new Voyager XII or Concours comes with a 36 month/ unlimited mileage
limited factory warranty. Ask your dealer for details about the factory
warranty and available extended coverage.

Features:

- With standard
features like electronic cruise control and a high-quality 4-speaker, AM-FM
cassette stereo with dual remote controls, this land is your land to enjoy.